1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to sewing machines and particularly to sergers which are used to trim and form edge overlock stitches on fabric using needles and loopers.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
In recent years more and more housewives have become sophisticated in their sewing and garment making and are more frequently utilizing "sergers" or overlock stitching machines for trimming and completing the edges of fabric on articles such as napkins, collars and the like. Also, they are using sergers to form flat stitches such as for hemming garments. Various conventional sergers utilize from two (2) to five (5) threads depending on the particular stitch and machine design. Commercially available sergers utilizing four (4) and five (5) threads oftentimes include a conversion device attached to one (1) of the loopers whereby the looper can be modified with a screwdriver or other hand tool and used as a spreader, thereby reducing the thread number by one (1). Other types of serging machines such as the Union Special 39500 machine utilizes two (2) threads to form an overlock edge stitch but does not use a looper attachment for conversion to three (3) threads to form other types of serge stitches.
With the disadvantages of prior art converting devices for sergers, it is one objective of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, efficient quick-release attachment for a serger looper which will convert a looper to a spreader, thereby reducing the threads utilized by one (1) during stitch formation.
It is another objective of the present to provide an attachment for a looper which can be quickly, manually affixed to the looper without the use of any tools.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an attachment which will transform the looper into a spreader and which subsequently can be easily retransformed back into a looper.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a looper attachment which includes a resilient member and a pivotally attached longitudinal member which is easily positionable through the thread eyelet of the looper.
Various other advantages and objectives of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is presented below.